Jack Letts

Jack Letts (born November 14, 1995) is a British man who travelled to ISIS-held Syria in 2014.^[1]) The press call him 'Jihadi Jack'^[2][3], a label created by Richard Kerbaj from the Sunday Times ^[4][5], who claimed he was the first 'white British boy' to join IS. British newspapers have claimed he was a fighter for ISIS, but no evidence has been offered to substantiate this and Letts denies the claims ^[6]. After escaping ISIS territory, he was imprisoned by Kurdish forces fighting in the Syrian Kurdish–Islamist conflict because of the suspicions regarding ISIS.

In 2016, Letts' parents were accused of funding terrorism by sending money to him while he was in Syria. Appearing in court in June, they denied three counts of funding terrorism and were released on conditional bail. They are awaiting trial.

Biography

Early life

Letts was born in Oxford to non-Muslim parents John Letts and Sally Lane.^[7] He attended Cherwell School,^[8] and converted to Islam as a teenager. He attended local mosques and learned Arabic in order to read the Koran. His parents were not opposed to his conversion.

Travel to Syria

In 2014, aged 18, he stopped studying for his A-Levels and travelled to Kuwait to study Arabic; by late 2014 he was in ISIS-held Syria.^[9] He claims to have gone to Syria "To spread the religion of Allah and to help Muslims. I can speak Arabic and English. That’s my only skill".^[10] ISIS attempted to imprison him on three occasions, as well as threatening to kill him.^[1] Letts was put in low-security detention from which he escaped, going into hiding in 2015. He found a people smuggler who helped him escape ISIS territory;^[9] Letts' parents received a message in June 2017 stating that he was in a safe zone controlled by Kurdish forces in Rojava in NE Syria.^{[1] [9]}

Metro News claimed that Letts was captured by Kurdish militia "after posing with deadly weapons in the ISIS stronghold of Raqqa".^[11]. All other reports, and Letts himself, claim he crossed the front lines with a people smuggler and was picked up by a Kurdish militia unit. No photos have ever come to light of Letts posing with weapons of any kind.

There were claims that, while in the Middle East, Letts adopted the name Abu Mohammed, but there is no evidence that he used any name other than his birth name Jack Abraham (Ibrahim) Letts. It was also claimed that he married a woman from Fallujah, Iraq, with whom he had a son. Letts' mother denied these claims in January, 2016.^[12]

Claims of links with ISIS

Letts claims that his journey to the Middle East was part of his "search for truth" ^[9][13]. This led the media to claim he was fighting for ISIS, but Letts has consistently denied ever being a member of IS. In an interview with the Independent ^[14] he said "I’m not Isis, but I believe in the Sharia; I also think that whatever I say, the media will probably freestyle with it and make up more nicknames for me". In 2016 he told reporters that he was not currently a militant (for or against Isis).^[15]. He stated that he grew disillusioned with ISIS because it killed and imprisoned its former supporters and "were not upon the truth".^[9] He has stated that he does not regret going to the Middle East and does not plan on returning to the UK.^[16]. In 2016, he told reporters that he was not currently a militant,^[17] stating that he grew "disillusioned" with the group because it killed its former supporters.^[1][9] His parents also maintain that he has not been a member of ISIS and went to the Middle East for humanitarian reasons.^{[9] [18]} Letts has stated that he does not regret going to the Middle East, and does not plan on returning to the UK.^[19]

In an interview with the Independent^[20], when asked about media claims that ISIS was planning to attack the UK Letts said: "I’m doing my own thing. I don’t focus that much on what Isis does. Also this may sound strange, but this is genuinely the first time someone’s told me they (ISIS) threatened to attack the UK, which is probably a bit embarrassing, seeing as I’m in Syria and you’d expect I’d hear these things. If Britain stopped bombing Muslims in Syria the Muslims in Syria would stop attacking them. Is that hard to understand?" ^[21] When questioned about the treatment of Muslims in Syria he said: "The Muslims in Syria are burned alive, raped, abused, imprisoned and much more. I also think that some of the Muslims I met here are living like walking mountains. Full of honour." ^[22] When asked about the US-led coalition and Isis he said: "I’ve seen Muslims burned alive as a result of what the US calls 'hellfire missiles'. I’ve seen the little girls that lived around the corner from me at my old house hide from American jets and plugging their ears from the sound. Isis has (made) huge mistakes, I don’t deny that, but the coalition has (made) far worse mistakes. As a separate point, despite the media frenzy surrounding them, I’ve never seen Isis kill Muslim kids. I have, however, seen the coalition do so." ^[23]

Parents accused of funding terrorism

In early January 2016, Letts' parents were arrested on 'suspicion of funding terrorism' for trying to send him money to escape from IS territory ^[24]. The court heard that the couple had tried to send £1,000 to their son in late 2015 but the payment was blocked. They tried a second time to send £500 when they realised the first payment had been blocked. They insist both payments were made to help their son escape from ISIS territory.^{[25] [24]}. ^[26] They were released on conditional bail.

They denied three counts of funding terrorism when they appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court on June 9th 2016. Their bail was revoked by the magistrate Judge Arbuthnot and the couple were remanded in custody. ^{[27] [24]} After spending a week in prison, a senior High Court judge Mr. Justice Saunders reversed the magistrate's decision and reinstated their bail stating that "the defendants were devoted parents who believed that their son was in mortal danger... so two perfectly decent people have ended up in custody because of the love of their child." ^{[28] [29]} Mr. Letts appeared before the Old Bailey via video-link from HMP Wandsworth where he had been kept in solitary confinement in harsh conditions ^[24].

The couple are charged with 'arranging the availability of property or money to another person knowing or having reasonable cause to suspect it could be used for the purpose of terrorism". ^[30] Letts' parents insist they were given written permission from the police to send him money, and tried to send him money only to help him escape from ISIS territory.^[31] A trial was initially set for January 2017 at the Old Bailey, but was delayed to April, 2017, to allow them to challenge the legal basis of the charge in the Court of Appeal on 'a point of law'.^[29] The Court of Appeal 'gave leave' for them to ask for this 'point of law' to be considered by the Supreme Court. ^[32] Their trial in the Old Bailey was set for September 4th, 2017, but has been delayed again to an indefinite date as the Supreme Court has agreed to consider the legal basis of the charge.

Pleas for rescue

Letts' parents claim the British police and the Foreign Office told them they would help him get to safety once he had left ISIS territory.^[33] After Letts informed his parents he was in Kurdish protective custody outside of ISIS territory, they asked the British authorities for help. The Foreign Office claimed to be unable to help because the UK does not have consular services in Syria, and also because the government's official policy on Syria is "not to help anyone returning from the region". Letts himself initially told the BBC: "I don't want anyone to help me".^[9], but has since requested help to return to the UK and has said he is happy to be arrested and put on trial for any crime the police claim he has committed.^[34]

References